TUSCALOOSA — Three national titles in four years certainly help to keep success coming.

After a slower than expected start to recruiting, the Alabama football team prospered this offseason with a plethora of talent from 10 different states willing to commit to the Crimson Tide in the wake of the the latest championship.

There are 15 verbal commitments, according to various recruiting services, for the 2014 recruiting class that will be signed Feb. 6. 247 Sports ranks the Crimson Tide class at No. 1 in the nation, while Rivals.com has them at No. 5.

Nine Rivals four-star athletes are in the spotlight of the group, led by Bo Scarbrough from Northport. There are five three-star players and one two-star guy.

Scarbrough is considered an athlete because he needs to settle into a position at a physically impressive 6-foot-2, 222 pounds. He played wide receiver, but could be running back, tight end or move over to defense with his 4.5-second speed in the 40-yard dash.

247 Sports considers him a five-star athlete and the second-best athlete in the country in the athlete category. Rivals ranks him as the top athlete.

Quarterback David Cornwell highlights the four true offensive players. He's a 6-foot-5, 235-pounder from Norman, Okla.

Cornwell is the third-ranked pro-style quarterback in the nation, the second-best prospect in Oklahoma and 66th overall in the nation.

He was a sought-after recruit with a big-time arm and athletic ability, but limited experience with only one varsity season. Cornwell adds depth to a talent group of passers at Alabama, so he can develop.

Two California offensive linemen, Dominick Jackson of San Mateo and Viane Talamaivao from Corona, are four-star blockers.

Jackson comes out of the College of San Mateo. He's a 6-7, 312-pounder who can make an immediate impact. Jackson committed to UCLA earlier, but changed his mind when the Crimson Tide became serious.

Talamaivao is a 6-3, 300-pounder out of Centennial High. He's considered the No. 8 guard and 160th prospect overall in the nation.

Derek Kief is the last four-star offensive player in the class. He's a 6-foot-4, 199-pound wide receiver from La Salle High in Cincinnati.

Kief ranks No. 46 in the nation at his position, and is the No. 17 player in Ohio. He has 109 receptions, 1,519 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns the last two seasons.

Bessent and Roberts make for a stellar future secondary for the Crimson Tide. Bessent is the No. 19 cornerback in the nation and Roberts is No. 14.

Hamilton, the 6-foot, 241-pound Wolverine, has a huge upside at inside linebacker. He benches 305 pounds and squats 465, and still has speed to cover a running back out of the backfield.

He's the No. 3-ranked inside linebacker in the nation and 37th best prospect overall. Hamilton is expected to graduate early and enroll at Alabama in the spring.

Whitley, another inside linebacker, is the No. 5 player at his position. He's another quick athlete at 6-foot-2, 222 pounds.

Alabama received a commitment from a three-star kicker/punter JK Scott from Denver. He's the fifth-best kicker in the nation, but he's expected to be a punter first with a hang time of 4.7-4.9 seconds.

Hassenauer is a 6-foot-3, 295-pound center whose stock rose dramatically on the summer camp circuit. He moved up to the No. 6 national prospect at his position according to Rivals, but No. 1 from 247 Sports.

The one two-star athlete is defensive tackle O.J. Smith from Bossier City, La. He's 6-2, 330-pounder who takes up space, and projects as a nose tackle in the 3-4 defense.

Alabama doesn't have commitments from a running back, tight end, outside linebacker or safeties. There's still plenty of time for to fill those positions.

The Crimson Tide have 18 seniors on the roster to replace, but like all programs, will overrecruit to be ready for regular attrition.

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Kirkpatrick also writes for the Montgomery Advertiser, a Gannett partner.